3D Bioprinting in Skin Related Research: Recent Achievements and Application Perspectives

Abstract

In recent years, significant progress has been observed in the field of skin bioprinting, which has a huge potential to revolutionize the way of treatment in injury and surgery. Furthermore, it may be considered as an appropriate platform to perform the assessment and screening of cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to review the latest advances in 3D bioprinting dedicated to skin applications. In order to explain the boundaries of this technology, the architecture and functions of the native skin were briefly described. The principles of bioprinting methods were outlined along with a detailed description of key elements that are required to fabricate the skin equivalents. Next, the overview of recent progress in 3D bioprinting studies was presented. The article also highlighted the potential applications of bioengineered skin substituents in various fields including regenerative medicine, modeling of diseases, and cosmetics/drugs testing. The advantages, limitations, and future directions of this technology were also discussed.

Keywords: 3D bioprinters; bioequivalents; bioinks; bioprinting methods; skin substituents; three-dimensional skin bioprinting.

Figure 1

Schematic structure of the skin: the stratum corneum (the outmost layer), the viable epidermis, and the dermis.

Figure 2

Overview of 3D skin bioprinting concept.